The Intellect.
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The Shaykh : The intellect is the opposite of madness, or if you wish, say: the intellect is the opposite of the absence of intellect, to include the madman, the one with a brain disorder, the elderly person who rambles, and others like them. These people are not required to fast or feed the poor because they are not among those upon whom the obligation falls. So if someone asked us about an elderly man who has lost his mind and no longer recognizes things or arranges his speech, but rather rambles with words that have no benefit, and he comes asking whether he must feed the poor or fast, what would we say? We would say he is not required to do either feeding or fasting because he is not among those upon whom the obligation falls. Now, what about the unconscious person? For example, if a man is struck by an accident—may Allah grant us well-being—and he becomes unconscious for ten days of Ramadan, is he required to make up the fasts? Or do we say he is mad? The scholars said that he is required to make up the fasts. Now, what if he slept for ten days after intending to fast? What do you say? He intended to fast.
The questioner : He did not intend to fast.
The Shaykh : He did not intend to fast when Ramadan entered. On the first day, he ate the pre-dawn meal, then he slept a sleep that lasted ten days.
The questioner : ...
The Shaykh : Now, did not Allah the Exalted cast sleep upon the People of the Cave for three hundred and nine years? The One who cast sleep upon the People of the Cave for three hundred and nine years is capable of casting sleep upon this man for ten days. Now, what do you say? Is he ordered to make up the fast? Or is he ordered to make up the fast for nine days, and it is said that the first day’s fast is valid? Or is he not ordered to do anything? We say he is not ordered to do anything; his fast is valid because he slept with the intention of fasting. However, someone might say: How do you validate the fast for the second, third, fourth, fifth, sixth, seventh, eighth, ninth, and tenth days? We say yes, we validate that, because the man—rather, every Muslim—when the month of Ramadan enters, he has intended to fast the entire month, is that not so? If you asked any one of the Muslims, “Did you intend to fast on the first day? Do you want to fast the rest of the month?” he would say: Yes, without a doubt. Therefore, the days after the first day are intended; they have been intended. And this is what I said, namely that it suffices for Ramadan to have one intention. This is the correct opinion: that one intention suffices for Ramadan, because every Muslim intends that he is fasting this entire month, unless an excuse occurs for him, such as illness or travel. And at that point, we say to this one who slept for ten days: his fast is valid and he does not have to repeat it. Yes, he might sleep for ten days, but I say this on the basis of a hypothetical assumption. Otherwise, glory be to Allah! Some people, when they sleep, may not wake up at all until they wake up on their own. Some people, when they sleep, if you come with the loudest voices to their ear, they do not wake up. If you poke them in their legs, their hands, and every part of their body, they do not wake up. The prayer must be made up; the prayer must be made up, because he did not perform it, so we do not say that it suffices for him. As for the fast, he performed it because he is abstaining; he is not eating while he is sleeping, so he is abstaining from eating, drinking, and things that break the fast. But as for the prayer, he must make it up, due to the saying of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him): What remains for us of the conditions.
The questioner : He did not intend to fast.
The Shaykh : He did not intend to fast when Ramadan entered. On the first day, he ate the pre-dawn meal, then he slept a sleep that lasted ten days.
The questioner : ...
The Shaykh : Now, did not Allah the Exalted cast sleep upon the People of the Cave for three hundred and nine years? The One who cast sleep upon the People of the Cave for three hundred and nine years is capable of casting sleep upon this man for ten days. Now, what do you say? Is he ordered to make up the fast? Or is he ordered to make up the fast for nine days, and it is said that the first day’s fast is valid? Or is he not ordered to do anything? We say he is not ordered to do anything; his fast is valid because he slept with the intention of fasting. However, someone might say: How do you validate the fast for the second, third, fourth, fifth, sixth, seventh, eighth, ninth, and tenth days? We say yes, we validate that, because the man—rather, every Muslim—when the month of Ramadan enters, he has intended to fast the entire month, is that not so? If you asked any one of the Muslims, “Did you intend to fast on the first day? Do you want to fast the rest of the month?” he would say: Yes, without a doubt. Therefore, the days after the first day are intended; they have been intended. And this is what I said, namely that it suffices for Ramadan to have one intention. This is the correct opinion: that one intention suffices for Ramadan, because every Muslim intends that he is fasting this entire month, unless an excuse occurs for him, such as illness or travel. And at that point, we say to this one who slept for ten days: his fast is valid and he does not have to repeat it. Yes, he might sleep for ten days, but I say this on the basis of a hypothetical assumption. Otherwise, glory be to Allah! Some people, when they sleep, may not wake up at all until they wake up on their own. Some people, when they sleep, if you come with the loudest voices to their ear, they do not wake up. If you poke them in their legs, their hands, and every part of their body, they do not wake up. The prayer must be made up; the prayer must be made up, because he did not perform it, so we do not say that it suffices for him. As for the fast, he performed it because he is abstaining; he is not eating while he is sleeping, so he is abstaining from eating, drinking, and things that break the fast. But as for the prayer, he must make it up, due to the saying of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him):